Fareham welcomes new Slimming World Consultant
By Slimming World Communications
A MAN from Fareham is hoping to inspire others to believe they can transform their lives as he prepares to become the new Consultant of his local Slimming World group; a role that starts later this month after he lost over twelve and a half stone in weight.
Dan Bevis will officially take over the Saturday morning group of Slimming World from September 26; which will be held at Blackbrook Road in Fareham and marks an exciting new chapter in a journey that is still very much continuing. At his heaviest before joining Slimming World, Dan weighed almost 30 stone. Everyday things many people take for granted could feel very different at that size, and over the years he had experienced a familiar cycle; including wanting to lose weight, trying to make changes, and finding it difficult to make them last.
There was another side to his weight that Dan found increasingly difficult to reconcile with his working life. As a registered paramedic, he has spent much of his frontline career caring for people at some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Yet at his heaviest, he admits there were times when he felt like a “fraud” arriving to help patients with their health while struggling so much with his own.
He said: “As a paramedic, you’re turning up because somebody needs your help, and I became increasingly conscious that I wasn’t looking after myself. There were occasions when I’d walked up a flight of stairs or carried equipment into someone’s home and I was more out of breath than the patient I’d gone there to treat. That was incredibly difficult to come to terms with. “I knew the clinical risks associated with carrying so much excess weight. I’d spent years talking to patients about their health, yet knowing something professionally and being able to change it personally are two very different things.
Dan continued: “At times I genuinely felt like a fraud. I could be wearing a paramedic uniform, looking after somebody else and giving them advice about their health, while privately knowing how much I was struggling with my own. “But that experience has also taught me something important: knowing what you ‘should’ do doesn’t necessarily make doing it easy. People don’t need lectures or judgement – they need understanding, practical support and somebody who believes they can make a change.”
Eventually Dan decided things had to change and after joining Slimming World, he began following its Food Optimising eating plan where he discovered that losing weight didn’t have to mean tiny portions, going hungry or giving up the foods he enjoyed. Today, Dan is more than 12½ stone (81kg) lighter and still working towards his own Personal Achievement Target. But the transformation hasn’t only been about the number on the scales.
As the weight has come off, Dan has rediscovered the freedom that comes with being able to do more, become more active and see changes in everything from his health and confidence to the size of the clothes he can wear. His experience as a paramedic also gives him a particular appreciation of the wider reasons people may want to lose weight – while his own experience has shown him that simply knowing the health benefits isn’t always enough.
He said: “I’ve got the clinical background, but I’ve also lived on the other side of it. I know what it feels like when somebody tells you that losing weight would be good for your health when you already know that – and you’ve probably told yourself the same thing a thousand times. “What made the difference for me was finding a way of changing how I ate and the habits I’d built up over years, while having people around me who understood and supported me rather than judged me.”
And importantly, Dan knows exactly what it feels like to walk through the doors of a Slimming World group needing help as he commented:. “I’m not standing at the front of the room as somebody who has all the answers or who has never struggled with their weight. I’m still on my journey too. “I know what it’s like to have a lot of weight to lose. I know what it’s like to have a brilliant week, and I know what it’s like when things don’t quite go to plan. “That’s why I want anybody walking into our Fareham group to know that there is absolutely no judgement waiting for them. Whatever has happened before they come through that door, they’ll find a warm welcome and group, supporting people who understand.”
Dan has already become a familiar face to members of the Fareham group, supporting and running a number of its Saturday sessions already in the run up to his official launch date. When the possibility arose of him becoming the group’s permanent Consultant, the response and encouragement he received from members helped convince him that this was something he wanted to pursue.
Now he says he can’t wait to build on the supportive community that already exists in Fareham and help even more local people discover what they can achieve. As the area’s only male Slimming World Consultant, Dan is particularly keen to encourage more men to consider taking that first step too.
He stated: “Weight loss groups can sometimes be seen as somewhere mainly for women, and I’d really like to help challenge that perception. Men can struggle with their weight just as much as anyone else, but sometimes we can be reluctant to talk about it or ask for support. I want men locally to know that they’ll be every bit as welcome in our group.
“I’m incredibly proud to be the area’s only male Consultant, and while my group is absolutely for everyone, I’d love to help more men discover that there’s nothing embarrassing about wanting to lose weight, improve your health and work towards a weight you’ve dreamed of achieving.”
Central to that will be showing people that weight loss doesn’t have to mean being hungry or living on stereotypical “diet food.” Slimming World’s Food Optimising plan encourages members to enjoy satisfying everyday foods and prepare meals the whole family can eat. Dan says some of his favourite meals have remained firmly on the menu during his own weight-loss journey.
In a comment, Dan said: “One of the things I love is that I eat proper food. This isn’t about surviving on lettuce leaves. You can sit down to a cooked breakfast, make a curry, enjoy pasta, burgers, roast dinners and so many of the meals you already love. For me, that freedom has been a huge part of being able to make changes that actually fit into real life. “
Alongside food, members are encouraged to gradually become more active in ways that work for them, while the weekly group provides support, ideas and encouragement to help members understand their individual habits and make lasting changes. That welcome also extends to people who are taking GLP-1 weight-loss medications.
Slimming World welcomes members using weight-loss medication, with its programme able to complement the support they receive from healthcare professionals by helping people develop healthier eating, activity and behavioural habits that can support their weight management now and in the future.
Dan said: “Weight-loss medication is becoming part of the journey for more people, and nobody taking it should feel that means a Slimming World group isn’t for them. Medication can be one part of someone’s journey, while group support can help them understand and change the habits around food, activity and everyday life that may have developed over many years. That can be particularly valuable in helping people build sustainable habits they can take forward if, in consultation with their healthcare professional, they later choose to come off their medication.”
For Dan, that support is what makes the group experience so important. He believes that behind every person who walks into a Slimming World group is an individual story, whether they want to lose half a stone or many stones, and nobody should ever feel embarrassed about asking for help.
He touched upon the initial steps, saying: “Walking into a group for the first time can feel enormous, especially if you’re nervous about your weight. But nobody is going to announce your weight to the room and nobody is there to humiliate you. What you’ll find is people cheering you on, celebrating the things that go well and supporting you through the weeks that are harder. You choose the weight you want to achieve. It’s your journey, and our job is to help you get there.”
Dan also hopes his own continuing journey will help create a special relationship with his members. Rather than simply telling people that change is possible, he wants to be able to show them.
“When somebody tells me they’ve got ten stone to lose and it feels impossible, I can genuinely understand that feeling, There was a time when losing the amount of weight I wanted to lose felt enormous. You look at the final destination and wonder how you’ll ever get there. “
“What I’ve learned is that you don’t have to do it all today. You make one change, achieve one milestone, and then go after the next one. Eventually you look back and realise just how far you’ve travelled. “
And Dan’s message to anyone in Fareham who has been thinking about losing weight – whether for the first time or after previous attempts – is simple: you don’t have to wait until you feel completely ready. He made a plea to readers and anybody who was interested in coming along:
“Please don’t think you need to lose a few pounds before you come through the door, or worry about what anybody is going to think of you. Come exactly as you are. I walked through those doors needing support myself, and doing that has helped me change my life. Now having the opportunity to help somebody else experience their own version of that is incredibly special.”
“Whether you’ve got seven pounds to lose or seven stone – or considerably more, like I did – you’ll be welcomed with exactly the same warmth. “And if you’ve been a member before and life has got in the way, there’s no judgement and no telling off. We’ll simply be really pleased to see you again. “
Some people living in parts of the county may also be eligible for 12 weeks of Slimming World membership completely free through local referral schemes, and Dan is encouraging anyone who is interested in losing weight to get in touch to find out more.
He stated: “There may be people locally who would really benefit from the support of a group but simply don’t realise that initially funded membership could be available to them, “he said. “If you’d like to know more, just send me a message. I can explain what’s available and help you find out whether you may be eligible. “
For Dan, September marks the beginning of a new role, but not the end of his own story. He concluded by saying: “My journey isn’t finished yet. Maybe we can do the next bit of ours together. “
Slimming World Fareham meets every Saturday morning at The Scout Hut on Blackbrook Road, Fareham with sessions at 7.30am and 9am, with Dan set to take over as the group’s permanent Consultant in just ten days. For more information about joining the Fareham group, support while taking GLP-1medication or potential eligibility for 12 weeks of funded membership, readers are asked to contact Dan using the phone number of 07493 101551.
PICTURED: Dan Bevis is set to become the permanent group Consultant of Slimming World Fareham later this month as he continues to author his own weight-loss story, in which he has lost 12 and a half stone so far.
